Floor covering



Patented Dec. 19, 1933 l 4 APATENT OFFICE FLOOR COVERING `Walter F. Kaufman and J. Clarence McCarthy, Lancaster, Pa., assignors to Armstrong Cork Company, Lancaster, Pennsylvania Pa., a corporation of Application July 15, 1929. Serial No. 378,275

4 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved hard surface floor covering providing a material of good quality at relatively low expense.

It has heretofore been proposed to make floor 5 coverings, such as those inl simulation of tile, with certain portions depressed below the general surface level. One method of making such floor coverings is described and claimed in the I-Iumphreys and McCarthy Patent No. 1,630,085. Such a floor covering is pleasing to the eye from any angle from which it may be viewed for the reason that it breaks up the light which strikes it, eliminating the bright glare usually incident to polished linoleum. The present invention provides a new floor covering having similar qualities and of relatively low price. It is also possible by the present invention to employ design media not available for molded inlaid linoleum and design media having a closer grain rtructure than the molded linoleum, with consequent improved moisture repellent qualities.

Certain low priced coverings known as felt-base goods and consisting of a body of felt paper having a design printed thereover are well known. Such iloor coverings are open to the objection that the paintsoon wears off, whereupon the appearance of the oor covering is destroyed. We provide a iloor covering comprising a felt-base layer having spaced overlays of linoleum mix thereon. Preferably, these overlays are secured to the felt base layer by a key coat of paint or the like. The paint covers the entire felt base layer and shows through between the linoleum overlays. These overlays, even though relatively thin, will withstand oor trailic over a much longer period than will a painted felt. The invention finds one of its most desirable embodiments in tile patterns, in which case vthe exposed paint layer corresponds to the tile interliners. In such patterns the width of the exposed paint portions is so small as to be subjected to practically no wear. The material 50 tothe fact that the linoleum contains a linseed oil binder. However, we do not limit ourselves toalinseed oil paint.

We may employ a resin coating which will serve the dual purpose of sealing the saturant in the felt base beyond all possibility of bleeding under such conditions as are experienced in hot countries, and bonding the overlays to the base. For example, we may employ an alkyd resin comprising 35 parts ethylene glycol; 31/pto 7l/2 parts di-ethylene glycol; 8 to 13 parts glycerine; 105 parts phthalic anhydride; and about 30 parts of drying oil acids such as the fatty acids obtained from linseed oil, china-wood oil, etc. This resin is made by putting the above ingredients into a heating vessel and maintaining a temperature of e5 from 180 to 230 C., until the constituents combine and the desired condensation takes place, the resin being in a soluble form. Such a resin is used as a base for a coating and is preferably employed by dissolving the resin in some solvent which will not attack the bituminous saturant of the felt base., Such solvents as the ethers of ethylene glycol or di-ethylene glycol may advantageously be employed. Ethylene glycol mono ethyl ether or ethylene glycol mono methyl ether are examples of this type of solvent. We may, on the other hand, secure an exceptionally good key by employing a solvent which will eifect the saturant of the felt. Such a solvent as ethylene dichloride is effective in this manner for bitumen saturated felt base. The coating is lled" with mineral llers as desired and pigmented to suit the specic pattern required. 1

There are many advantages in using the synthetic resin type of coating. In the rst place, a good seal is always had, at high or low temperatures, preventing bleeding of the saturant from the felt base. The resin given as an example above, is considerably more alkali resistant than linoleum mix or linseed oil paint and will prevent, to a large extent, any deterioration of the goods by soapy water or alkali containing cleaning solutions which may be carelessly allowed to remain on the goods when in use. Moreover, this resin is waterproof, exible, and during the stoving of the goods to mature the overlaid linoleum, this resin condenses to a homogeneous impervious film which is quite superior to a coating which depends upon the mere evaporation of the solvent. In our case,the resin base paint is distrib- 100 uted in dissolved form by a doctoring or roll coating process, or any other convenient means of applying an over-all coat tothe goods. After the evaporation of the solvent, the resin described above is slightly tacky and, therefore, retains the overlaid pieces during manufacture'of the goods prior to the stoving required to cure the linoleum overlays. The stoving temperature required for the linoleum overlays condenses the resin further and renders it alkali resistant to a high degree and makes it a hard,-exible, tough, wearresistant and waterproof fihn securely bonding the overlays to the felt. 1

This impervious type of paint, which is resist ant to the saturant in the felt base, which is waterproof, and alkali-resistant, forms a particularly advantageous bonding paint for the spaced overlays because it insures there will be no bleeding of the saturant thru to the exposed wearing surface of the goods. This is highly desirable in felt base which is sealed with a casein coat. since the caseincoat does not offer water and alkali resistance. The overlying bonding paint protects the casein coat (which is primarily a thin layer although used for sealing) from water and soaps.

'Ihe linoleum overlays may be applied at high speed by a rotary machine so that the material is produced at low cost. They are calendered from linoleum mix andthe mix may be worked so as to produce striated or marbled effects. These striatedor marbled sheets may be used in conjunction with plain or molded sheets to produce a nal product which gives the impression of hand-laid tile or a lacquer stone floor. Various ycombinations are readily obtained. Inasmuch as the body sheet is relatively low priced material, the cost of the completed article is low, even though the overlying sheets are of the best quality of linoleum mix. These overlays may be quite thin and therefore only a relatively small quantity of linoleum mix is employed.

If desired, the paint coat may be given various colors. Preferably the paint coat is relatively quick-drying.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating the present preferred embodiment of our invention,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a piece of floor covering of conventional tile design and embodying the invention,

Figure 2 is a transverse section taken on the line II-II of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2, but showing a step in the process of manufacture.

In Figures 1 and 2 there is illustrated, by wayV of example, a conventional tile design form on a continuously extending felt-base layer 2. This material has no bonding or adhesive value inherent in its top surface and is given a coat 3 of adhesive material. This coat is in the nature of a quick drying paint or lacquer, for reasons hereinafter described. Overlying pieces of linoleum mix are applied to the coat base. These are indicated at 4 in Figures 1 and 2. Preferably the linoleum stock is unmatured at the time the pieces are applied. The pieces are die cut from sheets of calendered material and therefore have square cut edges at the time they are applied to the base. After such application, the material is fed through a press or rotary calender P, which rmly unites the overlying pieces with the adhesive layer 3. Figure 3 illustrates the preferred method of applying the unitingpressure, by the use of a resilient member such as a rubber blanket B pressing against the back of the body sheet 2. The application of pressure in this way effects a gentle tapering of the edges ofthe overlying pieces 4, as shown in Figure 2.

The paint or lacquer lm employed is preferably quick drying so that at the time the calendering pressure is applied the exposed portions of the paint lm will be dry vor substantially hard. This eliminates any danger of 'the 'exposed paint lm being picked up by the face of the calender.

While we have illustrated our invention as applied to a conventional tile design, this is by way of illustration only, since many highly ornamental effects may be produced with varying shades and colors in the overlying stock. The overlying pieces being thin may be made of very high grade linoleum mix without materially increasing the cost of the product.

After the material has been pressed, as shown in Figure 2, it is matured. It may thereafter be given a coating of clear lacquer or wax as desired.

If the matured material be given a protective coating of lacquer such as a nitrocellulose lacquer or synthetic resin lacquer, the resulting product is a thoroughly waterproof, alkali resistant material with the decorative overlays enclosed in a waterproof, alkali resistant coating. This is of great advantage in a floor covering having a wear surface presenting different levels since water collecting in the lower levels will not have an opportunity to attack the overlays or undermine them at their edges.

We have found that our material, being a Waterproof, alkali resistant and attractive piece of goods can be cheaply produced as compared to other linoleum-type floor coverings. We can employ a piece of felt relatively thicker than the combined layer of burlap and mix coat which would be used in a linoleum counterpart of our article and as a result of our thicker material, we have a piece of goods in which the base sheet is sufficiently stiff that the goods will roll and unroll well and will lie evenly on the floor. We have found this to be a highly desirable characteristic, since some types of base webs tend to break between the overlaid pieces and while they may not break, the material rolls with angular corners and does not lie Well on the iloor.

We find that the overlays may be about five thousandths of an inch thick and that this gives a good embossed effect with substantially no distortion of the pattern.

It will be understood that the drawing in this case is to a greatly enlarged scale. There is no visible distortion of the base sheet even though the edges of the overlays are tapered by the calendering operation. The base sheet remains substantially true and so far as we are able to discern, the overlaid pieces are simply firmly pressed against the adhesive coating.

If the spaces between the overlays are relatively narrow, say i of an inch or less, the coating will come into contact with the calendar roll lightly, if at all, and 'the coating may at this period be in a somewhat tacky form. Inasmuch as We do not require that the overlaid pieces be imbedded in the base 'sheet to provide a good bond, we are not required to distort the base sheet to effect such imbedding and there is no tendency to break or weaken the base sheet at the exposed places between overlays which tends to occur if imbedding force is applied, since the resilient blanket forces the sheet upwardly toward the calender roll or press P and where there is no overlays, the tendency is to break the web.

In choosing a synthetic resin, we have chosen one which is particularly adapted to withstand the elevated heating required over a period of time to effect curing of the linoleum overlays. We have chosen a resin which does not become hard land brittle under continued exposure to the elevated temperature required for maturing the linoleum.

We have illustrated and described the present embodiment of our invention. It will be understood, however, that it is not limited to such form 1,94o,soe

within the scope 3. Floor covering comprising a substantially dcontinuously extending backing, a layer of an alkyd resin thereover, and pieces of linoleum mix overlying the backing and secured thereto by the alkyd resin.

4. Floor covering comprising a. substantially continuously extending backing, a. layer of an alkyd resin thereover, and pieces of linoleum mix overlying the backing and secured thereto by the alkyd resin, the base being made of saturated felt material.

WALTER F. KAUFMAN. J. CLARENCE McCARTHY. 

